Golf practice game



Oct. 24, 1933.

E. 5. RYAN GOLF PRACTICE GAME Filed March 7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l PO Qi: l a? $00 200 100 0 50 25,0 150 50 a INVENTOR. E. 551cm ATTO EY.

Oct. 24, 1933. 5 RYAN GOLF PRACTICE GAME Filed March 7, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 51 5 RYAN ATTOR EY.

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 umraosmTss PATENT ol-"rlca 2 Claims.

, This invention appertains to game apparatus, and more particularly toan improved golf practice game.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a novel golfgame device embodying an anchored ball adapted to be struck by anordinary golf club, with means for registering the force with which theball is struck in yards.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a golf game devicehaving an anchored ball which will automatically return to its drivingposition after being struck, means being provided for indicating whetheror not the ball has been fairly struck, the means registering the amountof slice, hook, etc., when the ball has not been properly played,thereby allowing the player to correct his stroke or swing.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a golf practicedevice, which can be played by more than one person, so as to permit thedevice to be used as a competitive game, means being operativelyconnected with the ball for indicating the force with which the ball isstruck and the amount of hook, slice, etc.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a golf practicegame, embodying a circular casing having rotatably mounted thereon, aturn table, with a ball connected with a bracket rotatably mounted onthe table, the table carrying registering devices for indicating theforce with which the ball' is struck, the means for mounting the ball onthe table allowing the table to turn in either direction for indicatingthe amount of hook or slice, if the ball has not been fairly struck.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means for normallyholding the table with its ball in a predetermined position on thecasing, with means for creating a drag on the table for holding the sameagainst backward turning movement under influence of said means, whenthe table has been moved by the inaccurate striking of the ball, so thatthe exact amount of slice or hook can be seen by the player.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel means foroperating the registering device for indicating yardage from therotation of the ball carrying bracket, said means being of such acharacter as to permit the free and easy resetting thereof, each timethe ball has been struck by the player.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a golf practicegame of the above character, which will be durable and efiicient in use,one that will be simple'and easy to manufacture and one which can beplaced upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as wfll be 66hereinaftermore specifically described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved golf practice game;

Figure 2 is a detailed fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating themeans for creating a drag on the turn table;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary section taken on the line33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating apart of the registering mechanism.

Figure 4 is a diametric section through my improved golf practice devicetaken on the line 44 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of thearrows;

Figure 5 is a section taken at right angles to Figure 4 on the line 5-5of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure1, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating one means ofmounting the ball carrying bracket on the indicator shaft, and

Figure '7 is an enlarged detailed view illustrating another and modifiedform of means for connecting the ball carrying bracket on the recordingshaft.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Agenerally indicates my improved golf practice device. This deviceembodies a circular housing 10 having a fiat disc-shaped body wall 11and an upstanding annular side wall 12. This housing 10 is preferablyformed from metal having a light weight, such as aluminum. Formedaxially on the bottom wall 11 is an upstanding boss or socket 14,supporting the pivot shaft 15.

Mounted upon the pivot shaft 15 is a turn table 100 16 which closes thetop of the casing 10. If desired, the turn table 16 can be formed ofaluminum or any other preferred material. The axial center of the turntable 16 is provided with a depending bearing sleeve 17 which receivesthe up- 105 per end of the bearing shaft 15. A ball thrust bearing 18can be interposed between the upper end of the bearing shaft 15 and thebearing sleeve 1'7.

- The turn table 16 adjacent to its periphery is 11 provided with adepending reinforcing rib 19, which also acts as a brake'drum as will behereinafter more fully set forth. A radially extending slot 20 is formedin the turn table 16 between the axial center thereof and the peripheryof the table, and this slot receives the bracket 21 for supporting agolf ball 22. The bracket at a point equally distant from its ends hasformed thereon, a hub 23, which receives the indicator shaft 24. The hubcan be secured to the indicator shaft in any preferred way, such as bythe use of a set screw 25. One end of the bracket is provided with asubstantially semi-spherical shell 26 for receiving the golf ball 22,and the ball is retained in the shell against displacement. Theindicator shaft 24 is freely mounted for rotation in suitable bearings2'7 carried by the inner face of the turn table 16. If desired,depending thrust bearing brackets 28 can be carried by the table 16 forengaging the terminals of the indicator shaft. The shaft on each side ofthe bracket 21 is provided with left and right hand threads 29 and 30,respectively, and the shaft 24 performs the function of a feed screw,for a purpose, which will also be hereinafter more fully described.

One end of the rotating bracket 21 is provided with a spherical knob 31which acts in the nature of a weight for normally holding the ball 22uppermost above the surface of the turn table and in a position to bestruck by a golf club.

Obviously, by the description so far, when the ball is forcibly struck,the same will be rapidly rotated, causing the turn of the shaft 24 inits bearings.

I providea novel means for registering the force with which the ball isstruck and this registering means is properly calibrated, so that therevolutions of the ball are translated upon the registering device inyards. This registering or indicating device includes a guide rod 33arranged in front and in spaced parallel relation to the feed screw orrecording shaft 24. This guide rod 33 can be supported by the bearings27, if so desired. On each side of the radial slot 20, the turn table 16is provided with laterally extending slots 34 and 35, through which canbe seen the threaded portions 29 and 30 of the feed screw or recordingshaft 24. One edge of the slots 34 and 35 is calibrated as at 36, toindicate yards as heretofore mentioned.

Slidably mounted upon the guide rod 33 on each side of the slot 20 is abearing sleeve 37 carrying a fragment of a feed nut 28 for engaging thethreaded portions of the shaft 24. Each of the slide bearing sleeves 37carry an upwardly extending angular arm 39 having a pointer 40 which isadapted to rid over the calibrations or indicating marks 36.

The indicating arms or pointers 40 carry finger knobs 41, whereby thefeed nut portions 38 can be raised above the shaft 24, so as to permitthe manual sliding of the feed nuts and their pointers back to theirnormal positions, after the pointers have been fed over the indicatingmarks incident to the engagement of the feed nuts with the feed screwduring the rotation of the feed screw.

Initially, when the ball is struck, one of the pointers or indicatingfingers 40 is disposed at the zero mark on its scale and the otherpointer can be swung back to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3,so that the feed nut of the last mentioned pointer will be out ofengagement with the threaded portion of the shaft. When the ball is hitby the golf club, the ball bracket will be rotated, causing the turningof the shaft and the pointer or indicating finger will be fed along theshaft over the scale indicating the number of yards the ball has beendriven.

Where two players are utilizing the device in sportive competition, oneplayer will use one indicating device on one side of the slot 20, andthe other will use the indicating device onthe opposite side of the slot20.

As heretofore intimated, I have provided means for indicating the amountof slice or hook, when the ball is not properly hit by the golf club.This means includes an indicating arrow or pointer 45 formed on the turntable 16 adjacent to its periphery directly in front of the slot 20.This pointer cooperates with graduations 46 formed on the upper edge ofthe side wall 12 of the casing 10.

In order to normally hold the turn table centralized on the casing, Ican provide a contractile coil spring 4'7 having its terminals connectedrespectively to a lug 48 formed on the bottom of the turn table and alug 49 formed on the inner face of the wall 12 of the casing.

When the turn table 16 has been moved incident to the improper strikingof the ball, I provide means for preventing the return of the turn tableunder influence of the spring 47, so that the amount of slice or hookcan be readily seen by the player. This means includes a leaf spring 50.The inner end of the leaf spring 50 is anchored. as at 51, to the bottomwall 11 of the casing 10 and the spring extends upwardly between theperiphery of the turn table and the inner edge of the side wall 12 ofthe casing. The spring 50 is normally urged, due to its inherentresiliency, toward the rib 19 on the turn table, and in order to insurethe proper engagement of the spring with the rib, the spring can beprovided with an inwardly directed offset 52 for bearing against therib. This creates a drag on the turn table to hold the same againstmovement. The tension of the spring can be regulated by means of anadjusting rod 53 carried by a bracket 54 on the bottom wall 11 of thecasing. The upper end of the spring which protrudes beyond the upperedge of the casing can be provided with a handle 55, so as to permit thedepression of the spring either by the foot or hand, so that the offset52 can be moved away from the rib 19 of the turn table and therebypermit the turn table to return to its normal position by the spring 48.The upper edge of the side wall 12 of the casing can be slightly struckout to provide a guide 56 for the spring, if found necessary ordesirable.

In Figure '7, I have illustrated another and preferred form of means formounting the ball carrying bracket 21 on the shaft or feed screw 24. Inthis form, I provide the bracket 21 with a hollow hub 60 and this hub 60receives a coil spring 61. One terminal of the spring 61 can beanchored, as at 62, to the shaft 24 and the other end of the spring canbe anchored. as at 63, to the inner face of the hub. The spring willtend to eliminate the initial resistance between the ball and shaft whenthe ball is hit by the club.

Any desired means can be provided for holding the ball 22 in thesemi-spherical socket 26, but as shown in Figures 6 and '7, I provide aholding plate 65, which is secured to the socket by means of a fasteningscrew 66. The holding plate 65 is such a character as to force and holdthe ball against the whole of the socket.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided anexceptionally simple form of practice golf game, which will effectivelygive the player an accurate showing of his golf form, the device beingof such a character as to permit the use thereof in restricted orconfined areas.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In a golf practice game device, a base, a turntable rotatably mountedon the base, means for rotatably supporting a golf ball on the tumtableradially of the axis of the turntable, the base having a scale in frontof the turntable, a pointer on the turntable for cooperating with thescale, and a resilient connection between the turntable and base fornormally holding the ball and the pointer in a predetermined positionrelative to the scale, and a drag brake for the turntable for holdingthe same against movement after being turned, said drag brake includinga leaf spring carried by the base, a depending annular rib on theturntable, an offset on the spring for engaging the rib, and means formoving the spring out of engagement with the rib.

2. In a golf practice game, a base having a central slot, a rotatableshaft carried by the base extending across the slot having oppositelydirected threads formed thereon adjacent to its opposite ends, a supportsecured to the shaft for rotation therewith, a ball carried by one endof the support, a weight carried by the opposite end of the support andnormally holding the ball in a raised position through the slot abovethe upper face of the base, the base being provided with slots on eachside of the central slot, a guide rod secured to the base extending inspaced parallel relation to the shaft, the base being provided withscales adjacent to one edge of the last mentioned slots, a travellingnut slidably mounted on the guide rod on each side of the transversecenter thereof for longitudinal and rotary movement, a pointer carriedby each nut for cooperation with a scale plate, means on the travellingnuts for moving the nuts into and out of engagement with the threadedportions of the shaft, as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD S. RYAN.

